(Reuters) -The fate of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is in the hands of the country’s Constitutional Court after parliament impeached him on Dec. 14 and suspended his powers over his short-lived declaration of martial law on Dec. 3.
The justices, who must decide within 180 days whether to remove Yoon, a conservative, from office have not always voted in the past based on perceived political leanings.
There has also been a dispute between ruling and opposition parties over vacancies on the nine-member court. Acting President Choi Sang-mok said he will appoint a ninth candidate, Ma Eun-hyuk, to fill the bench when parties agree on the nomination.
Here are profiles of the eight current justices:
MOON HYUNGBAE
Moon, 59, is currently acting chief justice of the Constitutional Court.
Appointed by former President Moon Jae-in, he is viewed as holding liberal views.
He has backed some minority opinions in his role on the court, including finding unconstitutional laws punishing sexual activity between same-sex soldiers.
Last May, Moon also expressed a minority opinion upholding the impeachment of a prosecutor.
Moon’s six-year term expires in April 2025 and legal experts have predicted the court may seek to rule on Yoon’s impeachment before his and another justice’s terms expire.
LEE MISON
Lee, 54, was one of the youngest justices appointed under the previous Moon administration, with her term expiring in April 2025.
Before her appointment, she was known as a labour law expert and has been a sitting judge overseeing trials for roughly two decades.
Lee, who is viewed as holding liberal views, joined Moon in voicing minority opinions in the two cases above.
KIM HYUNGDU
Kim, 59, was nominated by former Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su. His six-year term began in 2023.
He was the first judge to establish the legal principle that a 1975 emergency presidential measure that made possible arrests without warrants or subject to judicial review was illegal, and victims could be compensated by the state, according to local media.
Since joining the Constitutional Court, Kim has mostly ruled with the majority, including overruling the impeachment of a prosecutor in May.
JUNG JUNGMI
Jung, 55, is the sixth woman appointed to the court.She is not viewed as leaning in any particular political direction.
Jung found unconstitutional the law punishing sexual activity between same-sex soldiers, but agreed with the majority opinion on an alternative for conscientious objectors to maintain the current military system.
In the May decision on the impeachment of a prosecutor, she sided with the minority to uphold the impeachment.
CHEONG HYUNGSIK
Cheong, 63, is viewed as conservative and the sole Constitutional Court justice appointed by Yoon.
In a 2013 trial of a case involving a former liberal prime minister charged with receiving illegal political funds, Cheong overturned a lower court ruling and gave a two-year prison term.
In 2018, Cheong overturned a lower court ruling in a case involving Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee and gave him a suspended sentence. Lee was charged with bribery in connection with impeached president Park Geun-hye.
For Yoon’s trial, Cheong was randomly picked as the main justice in charge, according to local media, drawing criticism from the opposition Democratic Party.
However, the court said the role will not affect the direction or pace of the trial and legal experts said it will likely be mainly related to procedural matters.
KIM BOK-HYEONG
Kim, 56, took up her appointment in September 2024, and Yoon’s trial will be her first high-profile case at the court.
When asked about the punishment of homosexuality in the military during her nomination hearing in parliament, she said people’s basic human rights should be guaranteed.
CHUNG KYESUN
Chung, 55, was nominated by the opposition Democratic Party and appointed late last month by Choi.
She has promoted research and discussion of rights of groups such as the disabled, women, children, refugees, migrants and minorities.
In 2019, she was the first judge in South Korea to determine that cryptocurrency Bitcoin could become the subject of a financial crime, according to local media.
On Monday, Yoon’s legal counsel applied to challenge her involvement in the proceedings, arguing it would make it difficult to have a fair trial. A Constitutional Court spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment.
CHO HANCHANG
Cho, 59, was nominated by the ruling People Power Party and appointed last month by Choi.
He has worked at all levels of courts during his more than two decades of work on the bench.
Cho said during his confirmation hearing that the president’s acts of governance could also be subject to judicial review, and said he would “abide by legal procedures and make a speedy, fair and just ruling” on Yoon’s trial once chosen.
(Reporting by Joyce Lee in Seoul; Editing by Ed Davies and Kate Mayberry)
